The Timeless Child
by Ruth Joyce
Summary: The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham are abducted and taken to a mysterious new planet where they are kept prisoner in a unique zoo. There, they discover the mystery of the Timeless Child, find old friends, and fight old enemies. But time is running out, and they must decide who to rescue...and who to leave behind.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: hello lovely readers! I'm glad you've decided to read my story! I've been wanting to do this since 13's season started, but wanted to see where they took the Timeless Child storyline...except THEY DIDNT. Alright, fine by me. I'll do my own. I'm hoping to churn out at least two or three chapters over the next week while I don't have much homework. After that it'll probably update once a week. Also, if you've read Alons-y, this doesn't have any connections. **

**Enjoy!**

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A slight tingling danced up and down the Doctor's nerves as she regained consciousness, a sure sign of sedation. She lay completely still, listening for danger as feeling started to come back to her limp body. She could feel her face pressed against moist dirt, and heard a crackling of a fire and creaking metal nearby. The dirt smelled like...Skaro? That couldn't be right. The temperature was far too cold for Skaro's atmosphere. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, and immediately spotted the tell-tale signs of a battle. The rush of adrenaline came back to her as she realized that Ryan, Yaz, and Graham were no where to be found. Despite the residual numbness in her legs, the Doctor jumped to her feet and surveyed the area. She seemed to be in the middle of a lush jungle. Scorched metal Dalek shells were burning around her, and scattered across the ground were tentacles of Zygons, horns of the Judoon, limbs of Cybermen, and skulls of Sontarons.

_What's happened here?_ she wondered, looking around in sorrow.

No creatures could answer her. The Doctor sighed and took a closer look at the planet. Looking up, she realized the sky was extremely dark, almost navy in color, with a colorful Aurora Borealis lighting up the sky. Despite the lack of a primary source of light, she could see quite well. There was a path that ran some distance away. On the other side was a pristine white laboratory, it's three walls enclosing a thin bed, surgery table, an x-ray machine, and more scientific instruments from various planets. She took a step towards it, but realized at the last second the air in front of the path was shimmering and humming with energy.

"Force field," she whispered out loud.

Her hand automatically flew to her pocket, but she realized there was no sonic screwdriver. She followed the energy to see how long it ran. Unsurprisingly, it completely surrounded her. Without the sonic, she was trapped.

"Good, you're finally awake," a bitter feminine voice called behind her.

The Doctor spun around, heart pounding. Something about that voice seemed familiar. She tiptoed carefully around the decimated Dalek until she could see the owner of the voice. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. There in the lab, with arms crossed defiantly and hair pulled back in a pony-tail, stood Jenny. Her _daughter_. The same one who had died in her arms thousands of years earlier. Yet here she stood, seemingly alive and well, and exactly like she remembered her.

_This has to be a trap_, the Doctor thought.

"Let's get one thing straight right away," Jenny said firmly. "No matter who you are, or what your name is, you MUST tell them that you're the Doctor. Got it?"

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I know," Jenny said. "You're still disoriented and it's all very confusing. You must have questions."

"More than I think you know," the Doctor said, watching her wording very carefully. "I take it you're also in an exhibit, then?" she asked.

"Yeah. Welcome to Pandloria, home to yet another pompous species who think they're more superior than everyone else. You're in their zoo."

"It's a _zoo_?" the Doctor said, stunned. "For other species? That breaks so many intergalactic violations I don't even know where to begin! Why hasn't the Shadow Proclamation, or the Papal Mainframe intervened?"

Jenny shrugged. "I don't even know who those are. There's only one person who can help us now, and that's the Doctor."

"So...you want me to pretend to be the Doctor so I can help?"

"No!" Jenny sighed. "The Pandlorians think they've just captured the Doctor, the Last Time Lord, their ultimate prize and exhibit! Obviously, they've mistaken you for him...somehow. But if you go along with it, that'll give the actual Doctor enough time to rescue us."

"Right," the Doctor said wisely, nodding along. "That makes sense."

"The only thing you have to do is come up with a cover story as to why you're not a Time Lord. They'll probably run tests on you...if they haven't already."

"Oh, I am a Time Lord," the Doctor said. "That'll be easy."

"I thought the Doctor was the only one," Jenny said, confused.

"He found another one," the Doctor shrugged. "Me. Now we're friends and travel around in the TARDIS...speaking of, you haven't happened to see a blue box or three humans running around, have ya?"

"No, they'll probably be in the humanoid sector. We're in the rare species section, secluded and "protected" from all the rest."

"Why are you here?" the Doctor asked.

"Because nobody can figure out what I am," Jenny said flatly. "They call me the Timeless Child. I'm a mystery almost as big as the Doctor. Makes sense. What's your real name, by the way? Don't worry, nobody can hear you."

The Doctor started to open her mouth but stopped. _Well, I can't pass by John Smith anymore. And it's not very Gallifreyan anyway_. "My name is...Rose-arth-onna," she stammered. _Rose. Martha. Donna. Should be easy enough to remember for now._

"Rosearthonna? That's a mouthful."

The Doctor shrugged. "Gallifreyan," she answered. "Can I ask, why was I put in a battlefield?"

"That's the Doctor's natural habitat, isn't it?" Jenny said, her lips curling in a cynical smile. "He brings chaos, destruction and death everywhere he goes. That's what they say, anyway."

The Doctor's heart sank. Even if this was the real Jenny, she'd been turned against the Doctor already. It had taken so much to teach her that the pre-programmed habits and thoughts in her brain were not the only way of thinking. Now it seemed she'd reverted back again.

"That's not true," the Doctor said gently. "They have it wrong. The Doctor goes out to help people in the chaos and destruction. It will happen whether or not...he is there. He does his best to stop wars, not start them."

Jenny shrugged carelessly.

"Is there not a sun for this planet?" she asked.

"Oh, we're not actually on the planet," Jenny explained. "From what I can tell, we're on the planet's moon. The whole moon has been turned into the zoo. Unfortunately, we're on the side that never receives any sunlight."

"Strange..." the Doctor murmured. "It's as if we're living in a perpetual Eclipse. Hang on, did you say the whole moon is the zoo?"

"Yes."

"How big is this moon? Do you know where we are in the universe?"

"I don't know. When I was taken from my ship I wasn't anywhere near here. I've never seen constellations like these before. I don't have all the right equipment in the lab, but from what I've been able to determine it's about 1,000 miles in diameter and it's mass is around 6x1024."

"That's the size of earth's moon with the gravity of earth itself," the Doctor mused. "Those numbers..."

"They don't add up," Jenny finished for her. "I know. Something's wrong here."

An explosion shook the ground violently.

"No kidding!" the Doctor cried, alarmed.

"That's normal," Jenny said calmly. "That would be the result of the third and final specimen in our sector," she said sourly, her voice mocking that of a zookeeper. "The unkillable, immortal Boe, tortured and killed on a regular basis, all for your entertainment!"

"Boe?" the Doctor said, shocked yet again. _Jack. They must be killing him just to watch him come back to life! _"Jenny," the Doctor asked. "Have they ever tortured you?"

"Depends on your definition of torture. They only torture the regular exhibits," she said angrily. "Boe they try to kill, but for me they only experiment."

The Doctor felt a surge of maternal instinct. Whoever these Pandlorians were, she would make them pay for holding her daughter prisoner. "I expect they've brought me to watch me regenerate."

"No," Jenny said. "They want your TARDIS. They want to go back in time so they can collect specimens from all over time and space for their zoo."

"Oh, no," the Doctor realized, panic rising. "They'll torture Ryan, Yaz, and Graham to get to me...I've got to get out of here."

"Good luck with that," Jenny said. "I've been stuck in here for six years."

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**AN**: **I know that was an information overload but I wanted to jump right in with this story! I've wanted Jenny to come back for a looong time now. I figured 13 would be the perfect Doctor to do it! More chapters coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor surveyed the battlefield in front of her, hands on her hips and her brow furrowed in determination. She had to get out of here.

"No sonic, no TARDIS," she muttered. "But I do have a half burnt Dalek shell, bits of Cybermen, and my own brain. That'll have to do for now. I've been in worst straits."

She knelt down beside the smoldering Dalek and peered inside. Most of the wiring had burnt away, but the gun actually looked mostly functional. She wrenched it away and tested the firepower. A blue bolt shot out at the force field, causing it to bubble and warp.

"Interesting," she remarked.

"The Doctor is coming, right?" Jenny asked.

"What, you don't think I can get out of here by myself?"

"Well, without the TARDIS we're still stuck on the planet."

"I was taken from the TARDIS," the Doctor said, examining a Cyberman leg. "It might be here, too. Even if it isn't, I'm sure we can find a ship of some sort."

"Maybe."

"Next up, the biggest mystery of the planet," a voice echoed down the path.

"Here they come," Jenny sighed.

The Doctor paused to watch as half a dozen excited tourists came into view. She was immediately fascinated and went right up to the force field for a closer look. They were tall, slender creatures with long, skinny necks and small rounded heads. Their three round eyes stared at Jenny curiously, and their skin was a marbleized blue and red. One little one turned from Jenny's exhibit and looked at the Doctor innocently.

"Aren't you beautiful," the Doctor whispered.

A serrated, reptilian tongue flickered out of the child's mouth as she giggled and smiled.

"What's your name?" the Doctor asked softly.

"A-ray-a," the girl said slowly.

"Araya? I like that."

"Not so close, Araya," the girl's mother snapped, pulling her back. "That one's dangerous."

"Ah, yes," the tour guide announced, walking over gracefully to the Doctor's exhibit. Although they used their legs, the motion was seamless, and they seemed to glide across the ground. The zookeeper's voice was silky smooth, almost hypnotizing. "This is our newest addition and the pride of all Pandloria! The Doctor, Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds, Scourge of the Universe, and the most powerful and dangerous creature on this moon!"

"Aw, you don't have any Daleks?" the Doctor asked, feigning disappointment. "They're much more dangerous than me, I can assure you."

The zookeeper looked annoyed. "The Doctor has killed millions of creatures across the universe, even obliterating her own planet!"

"Actually, that's not true either," the Doctor said apologetically. "I put it in a pocket dimension for its own protection so the Daleks killed each other. Everyone's alive, don't worry."

"The Doctor is known as the master of lies, the greatest manipulator, escape artist extraordinaire, and king of deception," the zookeeper continued. He or she looked angry now, though their voice maintained the same tone.

"You're just saying that because you didn't like what I said. Although I do agree with the escape artist one."

"Silence!" the zookeeper said commandingly. "You are all now about to witness a rare moment, the regeneration of a Time Lord!"

"Whoa!" the Doctor said, jumping back and putting up her hands in protest. "You can't do that!"

"Indeed, we can," the Pandlorian said with a sinister smile. A gun rose from the ground in the center of the exhibit and slowly turned to point at the Doctor.

"You really can't!" she exclaimed, desperately racking her brain for an answer. "Because...this is my last regeneration! This is it! Once you kill me I won't regenerate again."

"Lies. The Doctor is immortal, changing shape and form when killed to better hide from enemies."

"We only have 12 regenerations, 13 bodies," she explained rapidly. "I'm on my last one, I swear!"

The Pandlorian suddenly held up their hand and the gun retracted. There were multiple of disappointment groans from the onlookers. The zookeeper leaned close to the force field.

"You will be tested on this, Time Lord, and if you are lying, we will kill you."

"Time Lady, please," the Doctor said in a threateningly low tone.

"I am sorry, ladies and gentlemen," the zookeeper said, withdrawing. "Until we verify the information about the Time Lord, we are unable to witness a regeneration. If you will please follow me, we will now return to our shuttle for lunch and questions as we head back to Pandloria."

The Doctor glared after them as they left, but smiled when she noticed Araya turn back to look again.

"What do they mean, regeneration?" Jenny asked when they had left.

"You don't know?" the Doctor asked. Jenny shook her head and looked concerned. "To make a long story short, when a Time Lord is about to die, every cell in our body is burned and re-birthed. We get a whole new body completely healed from any previous injuries. New face, new personality, everything. It's sort of a chance to move on to a different era of life. That's why people think we're immortal."

"Has the Doctor regenerated, then?" Jenny asked, looking down at her feet.

"I don't know what he was like when you saw him," the Doctor said, stalling for time. She wasn't quite sure if she trusted Jenny yet. Everything in her wanted to race across the path and wrap her arms around her daughter, never letting go. But she knew it could still be a trap; something was definitely wrong here. "How do you know him?"

Jenny didn't answer for awhile. "I'm his daughter," she said finally, forcing the words out. "I was cloned from his DNA on the planet Messaline. It was taken against his will; he never really wanted me. I had only just connected with him when I was shot. There was a war. He was able to stop it...but someone tried to assassinate him. I got in the way first. I think I died. But somehow I got brought back to life. Was that a regeneration?"

"Only if you changed your whole body and face," the Doctor said gently.

Jenny shook her head. "That's the thing. I have two hearts like a Time Lord, but I didn't regenerate. I just came back to life somehow. That's why no one can figure out what I am. The Timeless Child. I'm not human and I certainly don't age like one. I'm not Time Lord. I'm not a clone. My brain was programmed for me by the progenation machine. Even I don't know what I am. The Doctor left before I came back to life, so he never even knew about it. I've been trying to find him ever since."

"How long has it been?" the Doctor asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Twenty years," Jenny said falteringly.

The Doctor felt her heart break. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Jenny shrugged and turned away, going back to mess with the scientific equipment around the room. The Doctor turned back to the Dalek and Cybermen parts, hiding her face so Jenny couldn't see the tears. Her heart ached. She wanted to tell Jenny how long she had waited, hoping beyond hope for a regeneration, and the desperation when nothing happened. She wanted to tell her how guilty she had felt for years afterward. How did Jenny survive? It had been thousands of years since Messaline, so the details were fuzzy at best. She couldn't remember exactly what happened. What did she miss? The Doctor poured all her energy and focus into re-wiring the circuits. She couldn't dwell on that now. They had to escape first, and she had to determine that it really was her daughter Jenny before she could tell her anything. It was hard to concentrate. Being a mother felt very different than being a father.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry for the short chapters, ya'll. It's harder to write long chapters when you haven't worked with the characters yet, plus the first draft of the story. Anyway, I'm glad ya'll are enjoying it! Please keep favoriting, following, and reviewing! That helps me keep going!**

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Yaz shook her head, trying to clear the dreadful ringing in her ears. What was that? What happened? One second, she'd be in the TARDIS with the others, and the next thing she knew there was a blinding light and sharp, staticky pop. She blinked, forcing her numb eyes to open. Ryan and Graham stood talking a few feet away, though their voices were muted. Graham saw her looking around and turned towards her.

"You alright, Yaz?" he asked.

"I think so," she said groggily. "Where are we?"

"That's just it," Ryan said. "We don't know."

Yaz looked around and suddenly realized she was sitting a big swivel chair in front of a massive desk. Grand portraits hung around the room, and a giant bald eagle was painted on the floor. Although there were three walls surrounding them, the fourth wall opened up into a well paved road. It was relatively dark outside, although the street was well-lit.

"Is this supposed to be...the White House?" she asked incredulously.

"Part of it," Ryan said.

"Where's the Doctor? And the TARDIS?" Yaz said, cautiously getting to her feet.

"No where that we can see," Graham said. "I tried calling her but all our mobiles are gone."

Yaz walked to the edge of the room and peered out. On the other side of the road, but not directly across from them, was another room. This one was a rocky temple-like structure, and the people had defined ridges on their foreheads and cheeks. They looked forlorn and didn't seem to notice Yaz.

"Hello," Yaz called.

The people turned to look at her lethargically. "Finally filled the earth exhibit," the man remarked dully. "I guess we'll finally have some company."

"Excuse me, but can you tell us where we are?" Yaz said, ignoring the word exhibit.

"Welcome to your new home," the woman said scornfully. "Don't worry, the tour guide will be along soon."

Ryan joined Yaz. "Is it just me or is there a weird humming noise?"

Yaz focused on the air around them and reached out a hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man from the other room said. "It'll give you a nasty shock."

"Where are you from, exactly?" Ryan asked.

The man pointed to a sign that was placed right outside the temple. The sign read Members of the Akhaten Ring system. Ryan and Yaz looked at each other nervously.

"Our next exhibit is brand new!" A voice said to their left. "Three earthlings were collected just this morning, marking the proper beginning to the humanoid section of our tour!"

A group of young children, led by a few adults, came into view and gawked at the White House and its inhabitants. Ryan and Yaz retreated awkwardly back to the desk, where Graham had taken the President's chair.

"We're in a zoo," Yaz whispered quietly. "For humans."

"And it's field trip day," Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

"Seen in their natural habitat," the tour guide said in a silvery, ethereal tone, "the earthlings made it to the stars early in their development, but were violently aggressive to other alien species they encountered. This generic body type and structure is where we coined the term "humanoid," although they were not the first humanoids to reach the stars. In our next exhibit, we see the humanoid members from the Akhaten Ring System..."

"I can't believe this," Ryan muttered.

"I know," Graham said. His elbows were propped up on the desk, hands folded together, looking very serious.

"Gramps, you're not pretending to be the president are you?"

"I've never been to the Oval Office before. I figured since we're here, the Doc is MIA, I'm in charge so I might as well use the space we've been given!"

"It's fine, Ryan," Yaz said. "Look, that zoo keeper said we were in the humanoid section. The Doctor is considered humanoid, isn't she? So she must be close."

"I don't know, Time Lords are still pretty different," Graham said. "Two hearts, remember?"

Yaz went back to the edge of the exhibit and peered out. The school group had moved on out of sight, so they were safe from prying eyes, and she didn't see any security cameras, which was strange. The force field extended into the grass on either side of the road, though not far. She looked up and saw the domed, arching roof of the White House, and wondered if she could see better from there. She stood on a little side table and wrapped her arms around the wall.

"You can't escape, believe me, we've tried," the woman called out.

"I'm not trying to escape," Yaz said with effort. "I'm just trying to find our friend. She can help us. All of us."

She had managed to get about half way up when the ground suddenly shook violently, throwing her back to the floor.

"You alright?" Ryan asked, helping her to her feet.

"Yeah," Yaz grumbled, rubbing her leg. "Was that me that did that?"

The people from Akhaten had finally got up, looking alarmed. "I don't think so," the man said.

The ground shook again, and the hum from the force fields stopped. The people from Akhaten immediately jumped out of their exhibit.

"We're free! The force fields are down!" the woman cried joyfully. "This is it! This our chance!"

The two of them immediately ran up the road. Yaz was not as eager.

"Should we try it?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know. Maybe staying here will be safer," she said. "Something about this place feels really wrong. We don't know what's out there."

"Yeah, but the Doc might need us," Graham pointed out. "We can't just sit here and hope she'll come. What are you worried about? We've been to lots of strange planets before."

"He's right," Ryan said. "I say we go, and go while we have the chance."

Yaz nodded in agreement, although the premonition uneasiness didn't leave her. "Let's go, then," she said.

They stepped out carefully, looking around. The street ran through a thinly wooded area, but they could see grassy prairies behind the trees.

"Which way?" Ryan asked.

"If the Doctor is being kept with the humanoids, I say we follow the tour group," Yaz said. "She could be further down the road."

"Solid argument," Graham said, starting down the path.

The trio continued down the winding road, passing more monuments and exhibits along the way. All of them were empty, the inhabitants having already escaped. Suddenly they heard a scream ahead, and broke into a run. Rounding another corner, they saw several humanoids lying dead. The school group's leader had picked up the body of a slain child, and was ushering the others forward.

"Run children, it's the humans!" she screamed.

Yaz knelt down near one of the dying humans. Their throat had been viciously sliced by what looked like a serrated knife of some kind, though no weapon could be found. Realizing there was nothing she could do for him, she held his hand until he had died.

"They must have attacked the aliens," Ryan said, looking around at the carnage.

"How many creatures do you think are in this zoo?" Graham asked.

"I don't know," Yaz said, shaking her head. "There's no telling how far this extends."

"Well, all of them just got their freedom," Graham said. "So they're all going on a rampage."

Yaz nodded, feeling her uneasiness grow again. She wished she had her gun with her, or at least a taser. It was eerily silent in this district, though now they could hear chaos in the distance. "Stay alert."

They stole quietly up the street, the sounds of screams and chaos growing closer. As they rounded another corner, Yaz came face to face with a massive red creature with tentacles, blood dripping from it's mouth. She immediately screeched to a stop and turned in the opposite direction.

"Run!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Also, I got a cover for the story! All credit goes to Sophie Cowdrey, who was kind enough to let me use her artwork as the cover. You can see her FREAKING AMAZING paintings on DeviantArt. Most of them are Doctor Who related but there are some other ones on there as well! Check them out: sophiecowdrey**

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"Woah!" the Doctor cried, throwing out her arms to keep her balance. She looked across the path at Jenny, who also seemed concerned. "You don't think we're near a black hole, do you?"

"Surely not..." Jenny said, looking worriedly at the sky. "This has never happened before. Wouldn't we be sucked in by now?"

"Not necessarily," the Doctor said, remembering her terrifying adventure with Rose and the Beast in the Pit. "Maybe it's an earthquake..."

The ground rumbled again, causing a series of sparks along the path. The Doctor felt her hair stand on end and could smell the strong stench of electricity. Before she could say anything, the force fields around the enclosure disappeared. Jenny noticed immediately, and jumped out into the path, safe.

"Come on!" she yelled.

"Be careful, it could be a trap," the Doctor warned.

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Better out here than in there," she snapped. "If you want to stay, that's fine by me."

She darted off down the path.

"Jenny!" the Doctor cried.

Afraid to lose her again, she quickly gave chase. Jenny had stopped just around the corner, in front of the third exhibit. There, just as she had suspected, stood Captain Jack Harkness...flirting. With Jenny.

"And hello to you too!" he said charmingly, looking up at the Doctor. "Captain Jack Harkness. And what might your name be?"

"I'm the...Doctor, as far as the Pandlorians are concerned. But I'm really Rosearthonna, a fellow Time Lord and Companion to the real Doctor."

"Is the Doctor here?" Jack asked excitedly.

"No," the Doctor said. "But I think the TARDIS might be, so we're going to find it...and then find him."

"Then allow me to go with you," Jack said smoothly. "I have managed to escape before, just not long enough to get off the planet."

"I'm sure that will be very useful," the Doctor said, nodding.

"Rosearthonna, look!" Jenny called from a short distance away.

The jungle had been cleared so that tourists could look over the rest of the zoo from a jagged overlook. They had a clear view of the rest of the moon, which was covered in lush grasses and forests. And as the Doctor had suspected, the Pandlorian planet was blocking the sun in an eclipse. Everything was in complete chaos. She could see Judoon, Silurians, Shakri, Slitheen, the Silence, Weeping Angels, Sontarons, and hundreds of other dangerous species roaming about freely.

"It didn't just free us, it freed the whole zoo!" she realized aloud. She turned to Jack. "Ryan, Yaz, and Graham won't last long if I can't get to them. You said you had escaped before, did you find anything useful?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said, jumping to the other side of the road and pulling back a bush. He bent down and dusted off an old metal hatch. "This leads to the underground infrastructure of the zoo," he explained as pulled it open. "It's how the zookeepers get around without disturbing the tour groups."

"Perfect," the Doctor said, climbing down quickly. Across from the entrance, a map was illuminated in blue neon light. "Oh, look at this! I love maps. They're so helpful. I never have a map when I need one, except now!" She studied it intently, looking at the different sections. "Spaceborn species, reptilian, aquatic...humanoid! That's where my friends will be!"

"And there's a technology sector," Jack said, pointing. "That's where I've tried to get every time, but never made it. If the TARDIS is anywhere, it'll be there."

"Great. We'll go get the Fam first, then check for the TARDIS. Lead the way, Captain."

Jack looked around and ducked into an alcove. "Aha! Here they are." He pulled out something that looked like a high-tech jet ski that hovered about two feet off the ground. "Last time I tried to escape they didn't have any parked here. That's how they caught me. Hop on."

"Ooh, they've got maps on here, too!" the Doctor said as she got behind Jack. "If there's one thing this planet does right, it's maps. I wonder if they have a little shop. Jack, do see any on that map? I'll give them bonus points if they've got a nice little shop."

"Seriously? That's what you're focused on?" Jenny asked. "Not the fact that they enslaved millions of creatures?"

"It's my belief that all creatures are capable of some goodness on some level," the Doctor said. "Except for Daleks...although I guess Rusty broke that rule. Oh, and Cybermen. Definitely no good Cybermen."

"How did you get put in here, Jack?" Jenny asked, changing the subject as they sped silently along.

"I crash landed on their planet a few months ago," Jack said. "Big mistake. Then I started flirting with them. Even bigger mistake. They tried to kill me for such treason, discovered I came back to life, and promptly turned me into their #1 exhibit."

"So do you know where we are, exactly?" the Doctor said.

"We're in the Andromeda Galaxy," Jack said. "Not sure which side since my ship's instruments were failing, hence the crash landing."

"The Andromeda Galaxy," the Doctor repeated. "Never been here before. I've always wanted to, though. No wonder I didn't recognize any of the neighboring star systems."

"It's a nice place," Jack remarked. "Except for this planet."

"What are going to do about the Pandlorians?" Jenny asked. "Is there some sort of trial where we can punish them?"

"Well, we're definitely going to have to do something," the Doctor said. "I won't leave them to keep capturing more species, that's for sure. And there's loads more people who deserve a rescue besides us."

"Got a plan?" Jack asked.

"Working on one," the Doctor said.

"We need the Doctor," Jenny said.

Jack subtly glanced back at 13. She had a feeling he was starting to suspect her real identity.

"Let's just find the TARDIS first, and then go from there," she said.

"Is it safe?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, you've never been inside the TARDIS, have you?" the Doctor realized.

"You're in for a real treat," Jack said, smiling fondly.

"As long as it's safe," Jenny said.

"Believe me, nobody can get in if she doesn't want them to," the Doctor promised.

"She?"

"The TARDIS is semi-sentient. A living creature that can travel through time and space," the Doctor explained, suddenly growing excited. She couldn't wait to show her. "You'll love it."

"Right, here we are," Jack said, slowing the transport as they neared an exit.

The Doctor leaped off immediately and examined the door. This one entered and exited from the side of the tunnel, accessed by only a few steps instead of a full ladder. She put an ear to the door and heard groans and screams from the other side.

"Careful," Jack whispered.

"They're just humanoids, aren't there?" Jenny asked.

"Lots of weird, dangerous creatures are considered humanoid," Jack said. "Like the Slitheen, or Zygons, for example."

"Come on," the Doctor said gravely, slowly opening the round portal and peering out.

They entered the street from a grassy hill and surveyed the devastation. Bodies of humanoids and Pandlorians lay slaughtered between the exhibits. The Doctor sprang to the side of an Apalapucian who lay bleeding on the ground.

"Help me," the woman cried, clutching her chest.

"Hey, it's alright, I'm here," the Doctor said. She felt for the two heartbeats, but only felt one. "It's going to be alright," she lied. "What's your name? Can you tell me?"

"Marlaya."

"Alright, Marlaya, let's focus on something else, m'kay? What happened here?"

"The force fields fell," she sobbed in pain. "Everyone started rioting, trying to escape...I wanted to stay still but my son ran out...I can't...I can't...f-find h-him..."

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," the Doctor said, stroking her hair in sympathy. "Listen, I'm the Doctor, and I'm going to free everyone off this planet, I promise. I'll find your son, too."

"Thank you," Marlaya said softly. Her voice was fading.

"Have you seen Earth humans near here?" the Doctor asked. "They're my friends, there's three of them."

"I heard they arrived this morning," she choked. "I think I saw them running..." She began coughing violently, and pointed down the path.

"I'm so sorry Marlaya," the Doctor said as she felt Marlaya's one remaining heartbeat stop.

She closed her eyes gently and laid her on the ground. Jenny and Jack stood quietly nearby, waiting respectfully. After a moment, the Doctor got to her feet with a sigh.

"Let's go," she said quietly. "We don't have much time."

* * *

Graham ran as fast he could, keeping an eye out for a good hiding spot. He didn't even know what they were running from, but somehow in the commotion he had lost track of Ryan and Yaz. There suddenly seemed to be a mass number of humanoids running about, rioting and screaming, burning down their old exhibits and smashing the street lamps. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to see in the already dark environment. He rounded a corner and ran straight into somebody.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, are you alright?" he asked.

"Graham!" the Doctor's voice called excitedly. She hugged him tight and whispered in his ear, "Don't call me Doc or Doctor, I'll explain later." Graham nodded his understanding. "Are you alright? Where are Ryan and Yaz?"

"Oh yeah, we're running from something," Graham said, suddenly remembering and looking back in panic. "I didn't see what it was, I just heard Yaz screaming to run."

The Doctor looked around the corner and saw Ryan struggling to keep up.

"Back we go, then!" she said enthusiastically.

She lead them back the way they had come, ducking suddenly into an exhibit. Graham wrinkled his nose.

"Who lived here?" he asked in disgust.

"Not the time, Graham, just duck behind here," she said, crouching behind a large clump of bushes. "The scent should be enough to hide us."

"You think?" Ryan wheezed as he collapsed beside them. "Sorry, I tripped."

"Did you see Yaz?" the Doctor whispered in his ear. "Don't call me Doctor," she added, barely moving her lips.

"No, I think she hid in another exhibit."

They crouched in silence for what felt like a long time. Cautiously, the Doctor crept forward to the edge of the exhibit, listening for any signs of danger.

"Ryan! Graham!" Yaz's voice sounded suddenly, making them all jump.

The Doctor jumped out in front of her. "Yaz! There you are. We were getting worried about you." She hugged her close and again whispered her instructions.

"No, I'm fine," Yaz promised. "I think we lost them."

"What was it?" Graham said.

"I dunno, some big red thing," Yaz said, shrugging.

"The important thing is we all found each other," the Doctor said. "Oh, these are my new friends, Jenny and Jack. And this is Ryan, Graham, and Yaz."

"Hi," Jack said suavely, shaking Yaz's hand.

"Not now, Jack," the Doctor said. "Let me catch them up. I'm masquerading as the Doctor so the Pandlorians, that's who've kidnapped us, don't realize the real Doctor is still out there. Since it's just us now, I think it's safe to call me Rosearthonna still, but not too loudly."

"Do we know where the...real Doctor is?" Graham asked, looking confused.

"Not yet," the Doctor said. "I was put in his exhibit by mistake. But don't worry, we'll find him. He may still be on the TARDIS somewhere, and the transport beams didn't pick him up."

"Where is the TARDIS?" Yaz asked.

"Not sure of that either, but Jack and I have worked out a possible location. Ryan, you're looking around strangely, thoughts?"

"Yeah, one," he said, looking over his shoulder. "If we're in a zoo, where are the zookeepers?"

The Doctor stopped suddenly and looked around. Jack also looked very concerned.

"That's a very good point," she said slowly.

"We didn't see any in the tunnels either," Jack added. "Which is a miracle since last time I didn't make it this far before being re-captured."

The ground rumbled again, and the Doctor looked up at the sky worriedly. "Something is very, very wrong on this moon, and maybe on that planet...I just can't get a grasp on what it is."

"That's another thing," Graham said. "Why is it so dark?"

"Good questions, both of you," the Doctor said. "Both are concerning. We need to find the TARDIS ASAP. Jack, which way back to the tunnels?"

Jack looked around and started leading them back down the path. "I think there's an entrance over this way," he began.

Suddenly there was a sharp pop, and something that looked like a sprinkler system rose out of the ground. They all froze.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not there to water the grass?" Jenny whispered.

"Jack," the Doctor said. "Entrance, NOW."

They broke into a run.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryan suddenly felt like he was in some sort of dream, the kind where you wanted to run but couldn't force your legs to move.

"Ryan!" a familiar, angelic voice floated towards him.

He turned and saw Grace standing in an exhibit, holding her arms out to him.

"Gran," he said, starting towards her.

Someone grabbed his arm, and he tried to pull away.

"She's not real, Ryan," Graham's voice said. He sounded distant, as if he were underwater. "She's dead."

"I am real," Grace insisted softly, still in a sing-song voice. "Come here, Ryan. I've missed you."

Graham stood in front of him, blocking his vision. "Stop it. Look at me. You're seeing things. She's not there."

"She is, though!" Ryan said firmly, pushing him out of the way. "Let me go!"

Graham tightened his grip on Ryan's arms. "It's a trap, Ryan, you have to listen to me."

* * *

"Jack, mate!" Mickey Smith said, waving. "Where have you been hiding?"

"Been a long time," the ninth Doctor said, grinning.

"What are you standing around for?" Rose teased. "Get over here."

Jack blinked and stared at them. "Rose?" he asked. "But you're in the other universe..."

"I found a way back," she said, smiling.

"But you regenerated," he said, pointing at the Doctor. "This...this doesn't make any sense."

"That's Time Travel for you," the Doctor said, shrugging. "Why don't you join us? We're about to have a cuppa tea."

Jack felt himself being inexplicably drawn towards them, though he knew it was wrong.

* * *

The Doctor shook her head, trying to clear the fog that had invaded her brain.

"Stay alert," she said, trying to warn her companions.

"Doctor! Doctor!" several voices screamed.

Despite her misgivings, the Doctor turned and looked inside one of the exhibits. There, trapped behind some sort of chained net, were her old companions. Amy, Nyssa, Bill, Adric, Martha, Polly, Sarah Jane, Jo, Clara, Jamie, Rory, Leela and Romana.

"Doctor, help us!" Clara pleaded, tugging on the chains.

"You're not here," the Doctor insisted, turning away.

"Doctor, please!" Martha cried. "They captured us so you would open the TARDIS. Please, you have to help us!"

The Doctor forced herself to look away. She could see Graham struggling with Ryan, and Jack and Yaz each being drawn towards an exhibit.

"It's a trap," she realized.

"Doctor...Is that you?"

Her eyes were drawn to another exhibit, this time with only one inhabitant.

"Rose..." she whispered.

Rose smiled. "Hello, Doctor. Aren't you pretty."

"You can't be here," the Doctor insisted. "No, you're _not_ here. You're in another dimension."

"I came back for you."

"That's right, you did," the Doctor said. "But then you went back. You went back with the human Metacrisis of me. You're safe there, you're happy with him. You have a family."

"He's not you."

"Go away, Rose," the Doctor said, trying to look away. Deep down, she knew it wasn't real, but she desperately wanted it to be.

"Hello, Sweetie," River said sweetly from another exhibit.

"Oh, not you too!" the Doctor cried. She couldn't shake the vision from her mind. _The harder I fight, the stronger it becomes...Oh! It's telepathic gas!_

"You left me for her?" Rose asked, looking hurt.

"Oh, don't make me feel guilty," the Doctor said. "You're just a figment of my own imagination."

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the images, but that just made her incredibly sleepy. Her eyes opened, but they were still there, beckoning her to join them.

"Dad!" Jenny cried.

Rose and River disappeared and in that moment, all the Doctor could see was Jenny, racing towards an exhibit. She leapt into action, jumping in front of her daughter at the last second.

"Let me go!" Jenny cried, struggling against her.

"He's not there, Jenny," the Doctor said. "It's just an illusion. There's a telepathic gas making us see whatever we want to see. It's a trap, it's trying to pull you back into the exhibit."

"I don't care," Jenny growled. "I don't care, he's in there and he needs my help."

"That's not the Doctor, I promise!" the Doctor yelled, growing more and more frantic the harder Jenny fought her.

"How do you know?" Jenny snapped. She backed away from the Doctor and took a fighting stance.

_Of course. She's a soldier,_ the Doctor realized.

"I've spent twenty years searching for my father, and you're not going to stop me now."

Jenny lunged to the side, but the Doctor was faster. She wrapped her arms around Jenny tightly, refusing to let go. Jenny was real. She _had_ to be real. The Doctor realized she had no other choice.

"Jenny, stop!" she yelled. "The Doctor isn't in there because _I AM the Doctor_! I'm your father!"

Jenny tore out of her arms and stepped back, looking at her in shock. Out of the corner of her eye, the Doctor saw that Jack had also stopped and turned to stare.

"Jack, stop Yaz!" she yelled at him.

"You're lying!" Jenny said. "You're just saying that to stop me!"

"No, I'm not," the Doctor said, grabbing onto her arms to make sure she didn't try to run again. "The Pandlorians didn't make a mistake, I am the real Doctor. I've just regenerated."

"I don't believe you."

"You are my daughter," the Doctor insisted, tears running down her face. "I wasn't even the one who named you. Donna named you Jenny because I called you a generated anomaly. I was cold and distant toward you because I didn't think you were real, and I didn't want to get attached to you. But you were incredible. You cartwheeled through a laser maze like it was nothing. You chose to join me instead of the violence of the Messaline humans. We found the Source together. You died in my arms after saving me from General Cobb. I waited so long, waiting for you to regenerate. I promised never to leave you behind, you were going to travel with me. I was so excited to have a family again...You are my daughter and I love you. I'm not letting you go again."

Overcome with emotion, the Doctor embraced Jenny again, fighting back sobs. Slowly, Jenny hugged her back.

"Doctor!" Jack called. "I found the tunnels, come on!"

The Doctor grabbed Jenny's hand and pulled her towards Jack, keeping her mind fixed on getting Jenny to safety so that the visions of her other companions didn't disrupt her again. Jack stood by the entrance, where he had already saved a shaken Yaz. The Doctor kept her hands on Jenny until she had descended into the tunnel, then turned to find Ryan and Graham. It took all three of them to force Ryan down. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they were all safe.

But that was the wrong move.

"Oi, you!" a voice called behind her.

Without thinking, the Doctor turned, and her breath caught in her throat. It was Donna. She stood in the middle of the street, looking around in confusion.

"Where am I? What's happened? Who are you? Can you help me?"

"Oh, Donna," the Doctor sighed.

Suddenly Donna clutched at her head in pain. "You're the Doctor!" she screamed. "No! Help me! My head!"

The Doctor lunged forward. It was too real. It had to be real. The Pandlorians must have captured her from earth and brought her here. Jack and Jenny caught her arms and pulled her back.

"It's not real, Doctor!" Jack yelled. "Snap out of it!"

"They've got Donna, Jack!" she insisted. "She's not a vision, it's actually her. Her brain is burning, I've got to help her!"

"Donna Noble is dead," Jack said firmly. "She died of old age without ever remembering who you were. I was at the funeral, I know."

The Doctor froze, looking up at him in shock. Jack and Jenny pulled her into the tunnel and closed the door. A loud rush of wind flooded through the tunnels, dispersing the gas so they could all breathe again. The Doctor's legs gave way and she collapsed on the ground, two hearts pounding. Graham was comforting Ryan beside her.

"Why couldn't you see her?" Ryan cried.

"I did see her," Graham said gently. "But I've seen her a lot, so I knew it wasn't real."

The Doctor drew in a shaky breath and rubbed her temples.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Jack said, sitting across from her. "Donna died years ago. There's no way they could have brought her here."

"I know," she whispered.

"Is this the same Donna that named me?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor nodded. "Long story for another day."

"Everyone take a few minutes to breathe," Jack said calmly.

"Yaz," the Doctor said, noticing she was sitting off to the side.

"Hmm?" Yaz started and looked up at her blankly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Yaz nodded.

"What did you see?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, actually," she said.

The Doctor nodded understandingly. She was sure they were all emotionally drained.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" Jenny asked quietly.

The Doctor sighed. "I didn't know if you were real...or a trap. I'm sorry. Do you believe me?"

"Maybe," Jenny shrugged.

"Hang on," Graham interrupted. "Did I miss something?"

"Right, sorry," the Doctor said. "You can call me Doctor again now. Jenny is my daughter."

"You didn't tell us you had a daughter," Graham said.

"Well, I didn't know she was alive until a few hours ago," she explained.

"What regeneration are you on now?" Jack asked.

"Thirteen."

"Wow. And a woman."

"Yep."

"Time Lords can do that?" Jenny asked.

"We can kill and regrow every cell in our body. Of course we can. I've regenerated three...well, four times actually since we last met."

"Still the same old Doctor," Jack teased.

"How soon did you pick up on that?"

"On the ride over," Jack smirked. "I've been around long enough and have met enough of your regenerations that I have a knack for picking you out now."

The Doctor smiled. "I'm not that predictable, am I?"

"Keep telling yourself that."

Grinning, the Doctor got to her feet. "Right. Come on, gang, let's go find the TARDIS."


	6. Chapter 6

They found more of the Pandlorian transports, and Jack put in the destination. Jenny joined the Doctor, and Graham paired up with Ryan, leaving Yaz to go with Jack. She didn't protest. The first few moments were silent, as they were all still shaken.

"Are you ok?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know why."

She didn't answer.

"You should go visit her," Jack suggested. "You have a different face now, so she won't remember you."

"I already have," the Doctor said softly. "My 11th face tutored her daughter in school. 12 joined her in the nursing home. I've gone back with this face already, after her daughter left the house and she was more lonely."

"She was never lonely," Jack said gently. "You were always there."

"Always," the Doctor said.

"Except near the end."

"Don't talk to me about that."

"Should I know what you're talking about?" Yaz asked in confusion.

"I don't talk about it," the Doctor said firmly, ignoring Jack.

"I looked for you at the funeral," Jack said. "I thought out of all of them, that would be the one you would go to."

"Then you don't know me as well as you think," she snapped.

"I'm sorry," Jack said after a moment.

They continued on in silence.

Finally, they reached the technology section, which, to the Doctor's suprise, was located underground. A large section had been hollowed out, and a massive collection of tech from hundreds of different planets were scattered throughout. Loud shouts were heard deep within, and the Doctor dismounted carefully.

"Are those Pandlorians?" Ryan whispered.

"No," the Doctor whispered back, listening intently. "They sound like Silurians to me."

Cautiously, they crept through the maze of machines, following the sounds and keeping an eye out for the TARDIS. The Doctor peered around the corner and saw a band of extremely angry, violent Silurians surrounding the TARDIS. She jumped out immediately, motioning the others to stay concealed.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing with my TARDIS?" she demanded.

The Silurian leader turned to face her and snarled. "If this is your TARDIS, then I demand you open it for us!"

"Not until you tell me what it's for."

"We are on a mission to wipe out the human race, once and for all," the Silurian hissed. "Open it, or be destroyed."

"Ok, one, I am a Time Lord, so you can't actually destroy me. And two, I'm not going to let you wipe out humans."

The Silurian lunged forward and caught her throat, pushing her up against a Sontaran spaceship. "You are the Doctor," she hissed angrily. "You did this to us."

"What did I do to you?" the Doctor struggled. Jack started to step forward, but she motioned him back.

"We awoke on Earth in 3020 BC," the Silurian explained. Her anger was palpable. "You did not come to manage the peace talks. The humans slaughtered us like beasts. Now that we have a time machine, we can go back and stop the humans from ever evolving."

"Yeah, I can't let you do that," the Doctor said.

She clicked her heels together, and a shock wave blasted from the TARDIS. The Silurians collapsed into unconsciousness, and the Doctor dropped to the floor, rubbing her throat painfully. She peered around the Sontaron ship to see Jack and Jenny standing over four unconscious humans. She sighed.

"I was afraid that might happen. I haven't worked out all the kinks of that new defense mechanism yet. At least it didn't knock all of you out."

"Nice trick," Jack said. "Can I get that downloaded to my ship?"

"TARDIS only," the Doctor said, snapping.

The doors flew open, and she leaned down to carry Yaz inside. As soon as they were safely inside, she bolted the doors shut, just as an extra pre-cautionary measure. Jenny looked around in awe.

"It's great, isn't it?" the Doctor said, grinning.

"This is incredible!" Jenny breathed.

"Nice decorations," Jack said. "It's very moody. I like it."

"It's not moody," the Doctor said, looking around and frowning. "It feels very adventurous. But also homey."

"So is it like a portal to another dimension basically?" Jenny asked.

"Sort of, yeah," the Doctor said. She wandered over to the console and started messing around with the external scanners. "Only I can make the outside however big or small I like. I just like the good old-fashioned police box. I've had that design for eons. Once we're out of this mess I'll show you around and give you a proper Time Lord lesson."

"I'm not a Time Lord," Jenny said, looking down.

"You are in my book," the Doctor said matter-of-factly. She hammered the console impatiently. "Come on! It's shut down," she explained. "It's trying to reboot."

"I'm guessing that means we can't leave," Jack guessed.

"Nope. Not that we were going to just yet anyway. But it has just enough power to activate the scans...Oh. Oh my. That's not good. That is very, very not good at all."

"What?" Jenny asked, coming to look over her shoulder.

There was a groan from the floor as the three humans sat up.

"What was that, Doc?" Graham asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Sorry, new defense mechanism," the Doctor apologized distractedly. "I thought it wouldn't affect you since you were behind the ship." She was frantically pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"That's impossible!" Jack exclaimed. "They can't do that!"

"They did," she said grimly.

"What is it?" Ryan asked.

"The Pandlorians, who think they're so high and mighty, above all other races, have made a HUGE mistake," the Doctor explained. "They've stopped the orbit of the planet. It still rotates for night and day, but they're keeping it in the warm summer months so they never experience winter. And they've stopped the moon's orbit to keep it in a permanent state of eclipse."

"I didn't know you could do that," Yaz said.

"You can't," the Doctor said desperately. "They're messing with the most basic, fundamental principles in the entire universe. It's draining the sun's energy. That's why there were all those earthquakes. The planet and moon are trying to break free of the restrictions. The solar flares are off the charts. It's about to become a supernova."

"Been awhile since my astronomy class, Doc," Graham said.

"It's about to explode and turn into a black hole," the Doctor said. "Everyone on this planet and moon is going to die."

"Just to be clear, when is this due to happen?" Jack asked.

The Doctor looked up at him in shock. "Days at most. Maybe only hours." She paced the floor of the TARDIS worriedly. "There's something else. Something else is wrong but I can't put my finger on it!"

Someone banged on the TARDIS door forcefully. "Open in the name of Pandloria!"

The Doctor switched on the external camera to show one of the Pandlorian zookeepers standing outside. Other zookeepers were leading the Silurians away in chains.

"Oh, there you are," she said into the intercom. "I was wondering where you had gotten to. You know it's very irresponsible to leave your zoo in such a state."

"Come out, Time Lord, and allow us into your home."

"I can't do that. I have to save your planet."

"There is nothing wrong with our planet, you infidel. Open this time device so that we may collect species across all of time and space."

"Alright, FIRST OF ALL, that is not a nice thing to do and breaks every known law in the Shadow Proclamation's Galatic Laws. You can't just take people from their homes and put them on display. Secondly, your sun is dying and is about to explode and kill everyone on this zoo and on your planet."

"Impossible lies, Deceiver of the Universe," the zookeeper said. "We Pandlorians have mastered science. We have tamed the laws of the universe and are in complete control. We are higher than you in your Time Machine, we know all. It is thus that we rule over you."

"Wrong, wrong, and wrong," the Doctor said. "Fine, you don't have to believe me, but we are not coming out. We are going to do everything we can to save your planet, but we will not be humilitated before you again."

She pressed a button, blasting another shock wave that knocked him unconscious. The console beeped and she turned to look at the screen, gasping in shock.

"There are over 780 species on this planet," she exclaimed. "And there's at least two of each, if not more."

"Do we have time to rescue them?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor checked her scan of the sun. "Not by ourselves. We're going to need help." She picked up the phone and hit one of the many extensions. "This is the Doctor speaking. We have an Emergency 3 crisis, Threat Level 34, Code 800.S., needing immediate assistance in the Andromeda Galaxy on the moon of Pandloria. ... What do you mean there's a password? I haven't heard of such a thing. ... I'm a Time Traveler, you know that. Passwords don't apply to me. ... Alright, fine, I'll guess. ... Tasha Loves Kovarian? Silence Falls? Trenzalore? ... No...it's not...it can't be. ... I will NOT say it out loud. Tasha never treated me like this. We have a Threat Level 34, passwords shouldn't apply to this! ... Fine. Doctor Who? ... _Thank you_."

Irritated, she slammed the phone down.

"What was that about?" Ryan asked.

Jack grinned. "You called the Papal Mainframe, didn't you?"

"Yes, Jack, I did. I had no choice. Alright gang, take off your clothes. The Church is coming."

"Say no more," Jack said.

"Not here!" she insisted, shoving him down a hallway. "I'm going to give you a hologram projection first."

"That takes all the fun out of it," Jack said.


	7. Chapter 7

The Papal Mainframe arrived in blazing force, hundreds of ships docking down outside exhibits. The Doctor wired her sonic to the TARDIS' amplifier and blasted it over the whole moon, opening the force fields on all the exhibits.

"The Church of the Papal Mainframe requires your complete agreement to a temporary armistice," a voice echoed over the loud speaker. "You will all be taken back to your home planets to live in peace. Do not engage in violence. The Church of the Papal Mainframe requires your complete agreement to a temporary armistice..."

The Doctor ran through the exhibits, pleading with people to accept the armistice. She looked for the little Apalapucian boy, Marlaya's son, but she could not find him. She returned to the Mainframe's ship assigned to the humanoid sector. Graham, Ryan, Jack, and Jenny helped several humanoids onboard, many of whom were injured from the riots.

"Where's Yaz?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"I thought she went with you," Ryan said.

"No. Yaz!" she called out.

"Doctor," one of the soldiers said. "The Mother Superious wishes to see you."

"Alright, let me find my friend first and we'll be up in a minute. Yaz!"

Yaz came running around the corner, panting and out of breath. "Sorry," she gasped.

"Where were you?" Graham asked.

Yaz shrugged. "Just helping. That's what I do isn't it? I help people."

"Of course you do," the Doctor said, linking arms with her and pulling her into the TARDIS. "Now I want everyone to be on your best behavior. We're going to meet the leader of the Church, Mother Superious. Best let me do the talking."

The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor and her companions stepped out into the viewing chamber before the Mother Superious. The Doctor bowed low, the others following her lead.

"Thank you, Mother Superious," she said. "We are most grateful for your quick response."

"The Red Supergiant will explode soon," the Mother said. "Many lives would have been lost."

"Exactly. I'm very glad you see it that way. When do you plan to start rescuing the Pandlorians?"

The Mother Superious cocked her head slightly. "Why would we rescue such a lost planet of prideful tyrants? They have broken many violations of the Shadow Proclamation."

"I know that as well as anyone, but there are still many good Pandlorians on the planet who have not willingly participated in the crimes of their leaders. We need to give them a second chance."

"I cannot risk the lives of my soldiers by staying here," the Mother Superious said. "Their lives are worth more to me than the criminals on the planet."

"So you're not even going to give them a chance?" Jenny asked.

"The zookeepers on the moon have already been executed."

"What? No, you didn't even give them a choice to join you!" the Doctor exploded.

"This is the way things are done, Doctor," she said cooly. "If you do not agree, then you should not have called us."

"Thank you for your help," the Doctor said, pursing her lips together.

She turned and stormed back to the TARDIS, her companions following her.

"Can we put clothes back on now?" Ryan asked.

"Why?" Jack asked him.

"Go ahead," the Doctor said, launching the TARDIS back to the moon. Everyone save Jack went to change.

"Now what?" Jenny asked when they reconvened around the console. "We can't just let them all die."

"You were imprisoned there," Yaz said. "And yet you still want to show them mercy?"

"The zookeepers and scientists experimented on me," Jenny admitted. "And I know they tortured others and tried to kill Jack multiple times..."

"Per day," Jack added. "And they did succeed in killing me, just not for long."

"So yes, there were cruel creatures among them, but like...the Doctor said, not all of them were bad. Some of them are just children. Even some adults looked like they had been forced to go, and they looked miserable as they watched us. They are capable of sympathy."

"Well said," the Doctor applauded.

"You said we couldn't even rescue a whole moon by ourselves," Jenny said. "How are we going to rescue a whole planet?"

"The TARDIS has been downloading every bit of information it can find on Pandloria," the Doctor said. "Looks like they're governed by some sort of Grand Council. If we can convince them to abandon the planet, maybe they can convince the others. They seem to have a variety of space ships on hand that they can use for an escape."

"Will we even be able to convince them?" Jack asked. "That zookeeper from earlier seemed pretty stubbornly convinced."

"We have to try," the Doctor said. "Too many lives are at risk."

"No pressure then," Ryan said.

"Aww, we can handle it."

"But can we do it before the sun explodes," Graham pointed out. "That's the question."

"He has a point," Yaz said.

The Doctor looked at the screen and shrugged, pulling the lever that de-materialized the TARIDS. "We'll be cutting it close, but it's not impossible."

The TARDIS landed with a thud, and they could hear confused shouts outside. The Doctor grinned at Jenny.

"I love this bit where they're confused and frightened. It's so funny."

"Unless they try to kill us," Ryan added. "Then it's not as funny."

"Deep breath everyone," Jack said.

"I hope this works," Yaz whispered.

"Let's see," the Doctor said, opening the door.

She jumped out of the TARDIS with a grand gesture and surveyed the room. "Hallo!" she said cheerfully.

There were 12 chairs resembling thrones positioned in a circle. Each chair was made from a different kind of coral-like substance, which produced a colorful, gemstone effect. A round skylight above pointed directly at the moon, casting a perfect silver circle in the center of the chairs, though the TARIDS was now in the way. The room sat high above the city, with glass windows on all sides. The Doctor excitedly ran over to the windows to look out. Chrystalline towers twisted and swirled across the city, not one building standing straight. To the west lay a glowing lavender sea crashing down on white beaches, and to the east a lush, colorful jungle crawled up the side of a blue mountains.

"Ooh! Oh, this is beautiful," she exclaimed. "I mean really, that is amazing. Come 'ere, gang, you gotta see this before it gets destroyed."

"Who are you?" one of the councilmembers demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh yes, sorry. I'm the Doctor and I'm here to save you because your planet is about to get destroyed."

"Nonsense," he scoffed. "There are no signs of an imminent attack."

"Yeah, well that's cause it's not an attack. You've been messing with the power of your sun's orbit and now it's about to explode from the strain."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Security!" someone else called.

"Look, don't take my word for it," she insisted. "Look at your scanners."

"Don't mess with the sun, mate," Ryan said.

"You are a primative species, you do not know about our advanced world."

"Actually, I'm a Time Lord, so I think I do know a thing or two."

"No one else has ever managed to accomplish this feat. We have created a perfect world."

"Yeah, no one else has accomplished it because it's a stupid idea that gets people killed," Jack said. "It can't be done."

"And yet we have done it."

The Doctor shook her head sadly as security burst into the room and clamped high-tech security handcuffs on them. "You could have gone down in history as one of the most beautiful planets in the universe. And now you're going to be a warning to others who think themselves superior. Don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

"Well that went well," Jenny said as the cell door shut behind them.

They had been thrown into a small white room, with only benches around the walls for them to sit.

"It never works like I want to," the Doctor sighed. "You're my witnesses though, I did try to tell them. They just wouldn't listen."

"These are some handcuffs," Graham said, examining them.

"Electronic," Jack explained. "I've been in this kind before. You can't break out of them from the inside or the outside."

"What if we could shapeshift out of them?" Yaz asked.

"Not like we can though, is it?" Ryan snapped.

"Just curious."

"It depends on the kind," Jack said. "The more advanced ones will detect a shapeshift coming and will grow or shrink with the prisoner so they can't get out."

"Nice job thinking outside the box though," Jenny said.

The Doctor stood and walked over to the door of the prison cell. There was a small window opening to the hallway, and she could see a guard standing not far away. She caught his eye and smiled sweetly.

"Hallo!" she called. She cocked her head. "Would you come here a minute?"

"What's she doing?" Graham whispered.

"Oh no," Ryan realized.

The guard refused to move, looking away. "Please come," the Doctor pleaded. "I want to look at your skin. It's very pretty."

Jenny raised an eyebrow, and Jack's mouth dropped.

"I've never met a Pandlorian before," the Doctor continued, making her voice higher. "I love meeting new species, especially ones as advanced as yourself."

"She's flirting," Ryan moaned.

"You stole my move!" Jack hissed.

"Quiet!" she said, turning around and kicking him lightly. "You're ruining the mood." Jenny started laughing hysterically. "Oi, stop! I can't be that bad."

"Sorry, Doc," Graham said, chuckling. "It is funny."

The Doctor slumped down next to Jenny, who had doubled over at this point. "It's been a minute since I've flirted with anyone, alright?"

"So how will we get out, though?" Ryan asked. "Cause the sun is about to explode."

"I know," the Doctor sighed. "I'm trying to think."

"We can wait for another solar flare to knock out the power," Yaz suggested.

"But how do we know when that'll happen?" Jenny asked.

"They're coming regularly now," she pointed out. "There should be another one in the next 10 minutes."

"What, like contractions?" Jack asked.

"I guess so."

"Yaz, how did you figure that out?" the Doctor asked.

"It affects the planet more than the moon. I could see the earthquakes when we were up there, and I started timing them."

"That's brilliant," Jenny said. "Even I didn't think of that."

"Yeah, very clever," the Doctor said thoughtfully.

"Do they always knock out the power though?" Jack asked.

"I guess we wait and see," the Doctor said. "I don't have any other plans."

She thought for a minute and then looked at Jack.

"If we cut your hands off would they grow back?"

"No."

"Worth a shot."

Not even two minutes later, the ground shook violently. Sure enough, the power dimmed down and shut off with a click. Jenny immediately jumped for the door and kicked it open. The guard looked bewildered, and she wasted no time in knocking him out.

"Oi!" the Doctor cried, running out of the cell. "Don't hurt him too bad. It's not his fault that he was raised in a hateful society. He doesn't know any better."

"We've gotta escape somehow," Jenny said as the Doctor took off her handcuffs.

Alarms began blaring throughout the compound. Jack was already opening a service hatch.

"Down here!" he called as Yaz crawled through. "Hurry!"


	8. Chapter 8

Once inside the corridor, the Doctor pulled out a key from her pocket and blew on it. It glowed yellow, and a moment later they were surrounded by the TARDIS, back in the console room.

"Alright, moving on to Plan C then," the Doctor said, messing with the controls.

The TARDIS launched off into space, landing quickly.

"Where are we?" Jenny asked eagerly, eyes aglow. "Did we go back in time to convince them not to mess with the orbit?"

"Can't do that," the Doctor said. "We've already been involved in their time line. If they didn't listen to us now, they definitely won't listen to us then. We're still on Pandloria's moon. I'm going to broadcast a message to the rest of the planet. If the Council won't listen to us, maybe some of the people will. We can't save all of them, but we can save a few."

She aimed the sonic at the console, turning on the Time Lord equivalent of a web cam.

"Hallo, Pandloria! It's me, the Doctor. You know, the ultimate prize you chased after for your zoo? Don't worry, no hard feelings. It's a good thing you caught me, because I just discovered your sun is about to explode. Your scientists, leaders, and politicians have all lied to you. For those who believe me, a rescue ship will be appearing at these locations in one hour..." She turned a knob and a list of coordinates popped up on the screen. "And more ships will be at these locations two hours from now. Head to your nearest pick-up location and I'll take you to a new home that isn't about to be burned alive. Please, please trust me on this. The gravitational forces are not to be messed with. It just doesn't work. Please...let me save you. And Araya, if you're listening, I remember you, and I don't want to see you die. Try to convince your mum and dad to bring you. Parents, think of your children. See you in a few hours."

Solemnly, she turned the web cam off.

"What rescue ships are coming?" Yaz asked.

"You said the church wouldn't help us," Graham added.

"I know," the Doctor said. "We're going to be the rescue ship."

"You want to bring all those creatures into the TARDIS?" Ryan asked. "They could overpower us. They could steal the TARDIS!"

"Even if they didn't," Jenny added, "How are they all going to fit through the door?"

The Doctor pulled out a tool box from under the console and tossed something alien-looking to Jack. "Know how to work one of these?" she asked.

"In more ways than one," he grinned.

"Can you possibly speak without making everything an innuendo?" she asked, irritated. "That really bothers me now that I'm a woman."

"Sorry."

"Right. Anyway, we're going to reprogram the TARDIS layout so that we have multiple entry-ways that don't lead to the console. Only humans can pass through the doors to other parts of the TARDIS. Problem solved."

"Is it that simple?" Jenny asked.

"No," the Doctor said. "It means we're going to have to repair the chameleon circuit...in one hour. Are you up for the challenge, Captain Jack?"

"Yes ma'am," Jack said, saluting.

"She doesn't like that either," Ryan said.

"Actually it's kind of growing on me," she said cheerfully. "Now come on, let's get to work."

* * *

"We're coming up on the last landing site," the Doctor called over the intercom. "Get ready."

Jenny, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham stood in the newly conformed loading bay of the TARDIS. It was shaped almost like a blimp, a large oval room with glass windows on all sides. The console room was located in the back up a short flight of stairs. The Doctor and Jack looked over the loading bay through one-way windows. It allowed the Doctor to monitor the situation without anyone else figuring out what lay beyond the windows. They had already visited the other twelve landing sites and picked up around 250 inhabitants, not a bad number all things considering. The Pandlorians clustered in the middle of the room nervously, comforting the children as they cried. Gently, she and Jack guided the TARDIS down to the final pick up spot.

"Doctor, there's more than a hundred out there!" Jack said, looking at the scans.

"Right, hold on, I'll open the extra room."

The ground shook beneath them again, and screams erupted from the inhabitants.

"I think they believe us now," Jack said.

"No kidding. The whole planet's on fire."

Solar flares had hit the planet full force in the last hour, causing mutliple fires, earthquakes, and explosions. Buildings had collasped, causing a massive dust storm which was blown about by ferocious winds. She ran down into the crowd to help usher them into the new room.

"Come on everyone, let's keep moving to make room! We don't have much time left."

A small hand tugged on her coat. Looking down, she saw a familiar face looking up at her worriedly.

"Hello, Araya," the Doctor said gently, kneeling down to her level. "I'm glad you made it."

"Are we going to die?" the little girl asked timidly.

"No. I'm going to make sure of that. But it does look a little scary, doesn't it? You're going to have to be very brave now, you hear me?"

She smiled up at Araya's mum, and pointed out the extra room. Another earthquake knocked the Doctor off balance, and she was caught by Jenny.

"Thanks, love," she said without thinking. She swallowed, wondering if Jenny would be ok with it. Jenny smiled, although she still looked uncertain.

"That's everyone," Jenny said. "We need to get out of here, fast."

"Are Yaz, Ryan, and Graham on board?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Keep them calm," the Doctor said, running back to toward the control room.

She and Jack were about to take off when she heard Graham yelling.

"Doctor, stop! Ryan is still out there!"

"Bring it back down!" the Doctor yelled to Jack, suddenly panicking.

She looked out over the crowd and saw Graham opening one of the bay doors. She could see Ryan just outdoors, struggling against the wind and dust, leading an elderly pair of Pandlorians who were straggling behind. A deafening roar announced another earthquake was coming. In the distance, the Doctor could see the ground literally rolling toward them, wreaking devastation. Jack opened the door and jumped straight to the floor, ignoring the stairs. He pushed his way through the crowds until he had reached the door. Leaning out, he lifted the older male while Ryan helped the female. Graham shut the door and the Doctor quickly launched the TARDIS out of the way at the last second. The Pandlorians cheered at the triumph, and Jack, in the heat of the moment, pulled Yaz close and kissed her.

"What the-?!" Ryan cried while Graham looked on in disgust.

Jack broke away and pinned Yaz to the floor, hands behind her back.

"Don't move," he barked, taking out a pair of ordinary metal handcuffs.

"Hang on now, that's a bit uncalled for," Graham said, stepping forward.

The Doctor ran up and pointed her sonic in Yaz's face. "It's alright, Graham," she said. "It's not actually Yaz. She's a zygon. This must be your first time impersonating someone, isn't it? You've done a very bad job, but I am glad for it. One wrong move from you, and I set my sonic off with a high frequency that really, _really_ hurts. Now tell me, where is Yasmine Khan?"


	9. Chapter 9

"What's a zygon?" Graham asked as Jack and Jenny dragged the fake Yaz into the console room.

"Zygons are metamorphic humanoids. They have the power to impersonate any living creature they please," the Doctor said, seething. "But to do that they have to keep the original imprisoned nearby."

"Which means the real Yaz is somewhere on the moon or planet and will die if we don't find her," Ryan guessed.

"Exactly." The Doctor pulled a matchbox out of the console and held it in front of the zygon. "I like Yaz. And I'm not going to let her die. Tell me where she is and I'll let you go free."

"What if I don't?" the zygon Yaz said defiantly.

The Doctor lit a match and held it close to her eye. She hissed and shrunk back.

"Zygons don't like fire," Jack explained quietly.

"Why'd you have to kiss her?" Jenny asked.

"Venom sacs in the tongue," Jack said matter-of-factly. "It was the only way we could find out for sure it was a zygon."

"Why not ask?" Ryan whispered. "What if it had been the real Yaz?"

"We were pretty confident," Jack said. "Especially when she showed no concern for you."

"Shh," Graham hushed them.

"Seriously, I don't want to hurt you, but believe me I will," the Doctor said. She pushed the match onto the zygon's arm. Yaz's image disappeared, leaving a hulking red mass screaming in pain. "Where is Yaz?" the Doctor demanded.

"On the moon," the zygon hissed painfully.

"I need to know exactly where," the Doctor pressed. "We don't have much time."

She started to push the match toward the other arm.

"Stop! Fine. She is the Sontaran exhibit!"

"We never went to a Sontaran exhibit," Ryan said.

The Doctor raced over to the console. "She must have got her soon after you escaped. Remember that thing you were running from?"

"Oh," Graham sighed. "We should have noticed."

"No fault to you," the Doctor said. "You didn't expect it not to be Yaz. Zygons are hard to spot if you don't know what you're looking for. Also, word of advice, never agree to marry someone if you suspect they might be a zygon. You might be wrong."

"I'd like to hear that story when this is over," Jack said.

"The moon is shifting," the Doctor interrupted suddenly. "It's about to break out of orbit."

"What happens when it does?" Jenny asked.

"It'll tear itself apart. It's like all this energy has been building and building, and now it's about to break free. Jenny, Ryan, down to the doors, now. Get ready to break Yaz free and get her onto the ship. Graham, keep an eye on the zygon."

The Doctor flew over the exhbits, examining them with hyperfocus.

"There," Jack said, pointing. "That's definitely the Sontaran exhibit."

The Doctor landed roughly, and Ryan practically flew out of the bay doors. He ran into the exhibit, looking around.

"Yaz!" he yelled.

"Over here!" Jenny pointed.

Without hesitation, the two of them pulled at the sticky red mass holding Yaz to the wall. Yaz fell forward, gasping for air and choking. Ryan caught her and started to help her towards the ship. The whole moon jilted, and suddenly started moving. The force knocked all three of them to the ground.

"Hurry!" Jenny called, helping Yaz to her feet.

"I can't," Yaz gasped.

"Pick her up, Ryan!"

Ryan picked her up, and with Jenny's support, they made it back to the ship. The Doctor moved the TARDIS into space before closing the doors. The moon exploded seconds later. Yaz, Jenny, and Ryan collapsed on the floor, watching the planet grow smaller as they retreated. Then the TARDIS stopped, and the Doctor's voice sounded over the intercom again.

"I want you all to watch," she said solemnly. "Look at your planet. Watch it burn. Memorize it."

A solar flare surged and engulfed the entirety of Pandloria. The planet burst free of it's orbit control, and spun wildly around the sun, breaking into pieces. The people burst into tears, sobbing and screaming in fear.

"This is what happens when you mess with nature," the Doctor continued sadly. "Your scientists believed you were above it all. No one is above it all. Not even Time Lords."

The TARDIS retreated even further, until all they could see clearly was the sun. The Doctor walked down the stairs slowly, but her voice still reverberated around the chambers.

"Remember this. Your planet was beautiful. It was amazing. It could have been great. Your species could have joined the rest of the universe with glory and honor. But you decided you were better. Now I need you to be better than you were. Be kind. Have compassion. Love others who are different from you. Practice humility. Show mercy as I have shown you mercy. Remember this as you start your new lives."

The sun exploded, turning into a supernova. A shocked gasp rippled through the crowd. The Doctor joined her companions on the edge of the ship, looking out at the stars. Araya slipped her hand into the Doctor's.

"I didn't want it to be this way," she sighed. "I never do. But we must learn from our mistakes. They help us be better."

"Where will we go?" Araya's mother asked.

"I'm taking you to a peaceful planet called Florana. They know you are coming and are preparing a place for you to stay while you start to build a new life for your people."

"That sounds nice," Araya said.

"Yes, it is. I think you'll like it there a lot. I think there was a princess there named Araya. Or maybe that's in the future. Maybe you are the princess, who knows?"

* * *

"Thanks for your help, Jack," the Doctor said as she shifted the TARDIS back to normal. All the Pandlorians had disembarked and been taken to the makeshift refugee camp on Florana.

"Thanks for the rescue," Jack grinned back. "It was good to see you again Doctor."

"You could stay with us for a bit if you'd like," she suggested. "We've got plenty of room."

Jack smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. But I've already stayed away for too long. I left a little band of fighters in the Althosian System. I'm sure they're wondering what's happened to me."

"You're welcome anytime," the Doctor said fondly. "It's not good for us immortals to be alone."

"I know. Thank you. But we can't stick with each other forever either."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Speaking of, have you met Ashildr yet?"

"I've run into her a few times," Jack said, smiling. "She's a good kid."

"That's good, I'm glad you found her. Are you going to say goodbye to others? They just popped off to the kitchen to get some drinks."

"You have a kitchen?"

"Of course I have a kitchen. Why wouldn't I?"

"What do you use it for?"

"I kept fish fingers and custard in there for awhile. Clara used it to make souffles...I don't know, just kitchen things. Is that weird?"

"No, it's normal. Which makes it weird."

The Doctor grinned. "You can go see it if you like."

"Nah," Jack shook his head. "I'll just skip the goodbyes. It makes it easier, ya know what I mean?"

"It would make it easier," the Doctor admitted. "But not saying goodbye makes it harder at the same time."

"You do both," he said pointedly. "Sometimes even to the same people."

"Are you implying something, Captain Jack?"

"Me? Implying something? Never. Come on, Doc, you know me better than that."

The Doctor smiled gently. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should say goodbye."

"It's up to you," Jack said. "But I know she would appreciate it."

"Thanks."

The Doctor leaned forward and gave him a hug. Jack pulled out his vortex manipulator, entering in the coordinates.

"See ya 'round, Doc."

"See you around, Captain Jack."

Jack disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"Oh, did he leave?" Jenny asked, slowly walking in with a cup of tea. She handed it to the Doctor, who took it gratefully.

"He had people to get back to," the Doctor explained. "How's Yaz?"

"They all went up to the bedrooms for some sleep."

"I don't doubt it. It has been one very exciting day. What about you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Jenny said, leaning against the chrystal wall.

"And...do you have anywhere or anyone to get back to?" the Doctor asked slowly, looking down at her tea intently.

Jenny shrugged. "Not really. I was sort of on my own when I was kidnapped anyway."

"Do you need me to take you anywhere for anything?" Jenny shook her head. The Doctor inhaled deeply, letting the steam from the tea calm her. "Then...would you like to travel with me?"

A slow smile crept across Jenny's face as she nodded slightly. "If it's alright with you...why would I say no?"

"Well...I dunno. Maybe 'cause I've changed, or you've changed."

"You're definitely not what I expected," Jenny said.

"I never am," the Doctor said.

"But you're still the same person, I think." Jenny looked her up and down for a moment. "So...do I just call you 'mum' then, or what?"

"Mum would be great," the Doctor said, setting down the tea. "I like mum."

Jenny stepped forward eagerly and embraced her.

"Me too."


	10. Chapter 10

"Where are we?" Jenny asked as she and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Cardiff, 2061," the Doctor sighed, looking at the building across the street sadly. "Donna Noble's nursing home."

"What happened to her?" Jenny asked as they started walking towards it.

"She saved the universe. But in doing so she took on all of my memories and some Time-Lord DNA. It was too much for human brain to bear."

"So she died?"

"She would have, if I didn't wipe her memories. I was able to save her...but she forgot everything about me and our adventures."

"She doesn't even remember me?"

"No. If she does remember, then her mind burns up, and she dies. When I saw her on Pandloria, I thought they had captured her and brought her for real, because she acted like her mind was burning. That's why I thought she was real."

As they reached the front doors, a grey haired man ran around the corner from the back, nearly running into them. The Doctor steadied him, blinking in surprise.

"Are you alright?" Jenny asked.

"I can't do it," he gasped in a Scottish accent. "I can't."

"It's ok," the Doctor said soothingly. "You don't have to. That's why I'm here." The man looked at her in surprise. "Go before they catch you. And mind you get into the right TARDIS."

"Thank you," the man nodded, and darted off again.

"Who was he?" Jenny asked.

"That was me," the Doctor said. "Another one of my regenerations. I stayed in the nursing home with Donna from the time she entered to the day she died. Only I left when I realized she was dying."

"And she didn't remember you because you had a different face," Jenny realized.

"Exactly."

The two of them went inside, where the reception lady pointed to a sign in sheet. The Doctor smiled as she saw that Bill Potts had signed in to see John Smith earlier that morning. She wrote down that they were there to see Donna Noble, but suddenly paused when she had to fill out her own name.

"What's wrong?" Jenny whispered.

"I don't have a pseudonym anymore," the Doctor realized. "I used to go by John Smith but now that clearly doesn't work."

Jenny thought for a minute. "Why don't you put Joan?"

"Joan...Joan Smith. I like that." She grinned and wrote it down. "Right. Joan and Jenny Smith to see Donna Noble."

The Doctor led the way down the halls until they got to Donna's room, where she lay sleeping on the bed. Her wrinkled face was tense, and it appeared she was having trouble breathing in spite of the oxygen tubes. A heart monitor beeped softly nearby, and an IV was hooked up to her thin arm. The Doctor stood at the foot of the bed and sighed.

"She was my best friend, you know. Well, my human best friend anyway. We had the best of times me and her. Oh the sass that woman commanded. But she was sweeter than anything on the inside. She saved my life on so many occasions. She supported me, she stood by me in tough decisions. You know she comforted me after you died. She was always extremely understanding. She's been through a lot. Donna Noble, the most important woman in all of creation."

Slowly, Donna stirred in bed and opened her eyes weakly. She frowned, confused.

"Who are you?" she demanded crossly.

The Doctor smiled gently, and went to sit next to her. "It's alright, Donna. You know me. You've just forgotten."

"My memory is in perfect shape thank you very much." She sounded just the same, albeit a little weaker.

The Doctor pulled the IV tube closer and increased the dosage. "Let's give you a little more morphine, shall we?"

"Don't make me call the doctor," Donna threatened.

"There's no need for that. I am the Doctor."

"Then how come I haven't seen you before?"

"You have, I promise." The Doctor smoothed the silvery grey hair back from Donna's eyes and placed her hands on either side of Donna's forehead. "Let me show you."

Donna started to protest, then gasped suddenly. She saw it all. The Racnoss, the adipose, Pompeii, the Ood, Sontarans, the Wasp, Agatha Christie, Ghandi, the Sycorax, the Library, the Shadow Proclamation, and the Daleks. All of them flashed before her eyes, and with them, the Doctor and the TARDIS.

_"I'm in my wedding dress!"_

_"You fought her off with a water pistol! I bloody love you!"_

_"I'm waving at fat..."_

_"You're not mating with me, sunshine!"_

_"You've got a box, he's got a ferrari!"_

_"I mean a wasp that's GIANT."_

_"Donna, human, no."_

_"Oi, watch it spaceman!"_

_"The universe has been waiting for me."_

"Doctor..." Donna cried shakily.

"I was always there Donna, I never left you," the Doctor whispered, opening Donna's mind to more memories.

_The lottery ticket at the wedding. She could see the Doctor, standing with her mum and grandad, and she could hear them talking._

_"I just wanted to give you this. Wedding present. Thing is, I never carry money, so I just popped back in time, borrowed a quid off a really lovely man. Geoffrey Noble his name was."_

_"Oh, don't tell me it's a bill. Just what I need right now. A lottery ticket? What a cheap present! Who was that? Still, you never know. It's a triple rollover this week. I might get lucky." _

_"Hello, I'm Dr. Smith," the mysterious man in a Stetson and a bowtie said, beaming. "I'm here to tutor your daughter." _

_"Thank you, I'm a total idiot, I feel like I can't help at all."_

_"No, no don't say that. You're brilliant, just in other ways."_

_"How do you know that?"_

_"Because we're all brilliant. We just have to find it."_

_The woman at the park, who always seemed to be there when Donna needed her._

_"Are you alright, mate?" she asked, sitting beside her on the bench._

_"Just a little emotional," Donna confessed. "My daughter's gone off to uni. The house feels so big and empty with her gone."_

_"I thought you looked like you needed a friend. I'm...Polly. Polly Smith." _

_Finally, the fiesty old Scotsman at her table who kept getting her into trouble at the nursing home. Never a dull day with him. He had kept her out of depression._

_"Hallo, I'm new," he said. "John Smith, at your service."_

_"Donna Noble," she sighed wearily. "You don't seem old enough to be in here." _

_"Yes, well, neither do you," he pointed out. _

_"Stop it. I'm ancient. Do you have any family?" _

_"No. You?"_

_"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Donna grumbled. "A place where people go when they have no one else to turn to? A place where we come to die."_

_"I don't look at it that way. Everyone else just does it wrong." _

_"Alright, then, what it should it be like?"_

_"It's a place where we come to live."_

_"That's rubbish. Look around."_

_"Like I said, they're doing it wrong. We're about to die, yes, but doesn't that make you want to live a little?" _

_"What are we even living for?" Donna sulked. _

_"Well, for starters, I heard Mrs. Poppy keeps a bottle of brandy in her room," he whispered. "And if we time it right, we might be able to break in and pinch a sip." _

"It's you," Donna breathed. "It was always you."

The Doctor took her hands away and smiled softly. "Hello again."

Donna gasped, grinning nonetheless. "I remember you."

"Of course you do," the Doctor said lightly. "I'm unforgettable."

"You said your name was Polly."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh yeah. I completely blanked on a name, so I chose one of my old companions. I got a new one now: Joan Smith. I think I'll stick with that one. Oh, by the way, look who I found."

"Jenny!" Donna exclaimed. "Oh of course. Of course she didn't regenerate. There was no way the progeneration machine could replicate that part of Time Lord DNA, it's too complicated. It was the Source."

"Ohh," the Doctor realized. "That makes a lot of sense actually."

"Mystery solved," Jenny smiled. "That was smart."

"Of course it was smart," Donna scoffed. "I'm brilliant. I've got Time Lord brain again."

Suddenly she gasped and closed her eyes painfully; the heart rate machine beeping urgently. The Doctor turned the morphine up again, trying to blink back tears.

"Well that feels nice," Donna moaned sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I wish it wouldn't hurt you. I just wanted you to know..."

"Thank you," Donna whispered, reaching out and holding her hand. "For everything. It's been an honor."

"You're my best friend, Donna Noble," the Doctor cried. "The most important woman in the galaxy. The honor is mine."

Donna smiled. "I wouldn't trade it for the world," she whispered.

The Doctor stood and kissed her forehead gently as the last, long tone rang out. When she pulled back, Donna Noble was gone. Gently, Jenny linked arms with her mother and pulled her away. The Doctor felt like the world went in slow motion as Jenny led her out of the room and medics rushed in. Memories flashed through her own mind.

_"I'm in my wedding dress!"_

_"Yes, you look lovely, come on!"_

_"Sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you."_

_"You came to the TARDIS, and then you found me again."_

_"Just save someone!"_

_"In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time."_

_"Planet of the hats, I'm ready!" _

_"Donna, stop talking about yourself like that, you can do this."_

_"Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute." _

_"But it's Sontaran, it needs three fingers."_

_"You've...you've got three fingers."_

_"Oh yeah!" _

_"Someone has been drawing us together for such a long time."_

_"Why me?"_

_"Because you're special."_

_"You are...oh, you really don't believe that do you?"_

_"Donna. I'm a human being. Maybe not a Time Lord but every bit as important as one thank you very much." _

_"I was going to be with you...forever." _

"Have a cuppa," Jenny said, gently prying open the Doctor's hands to receive the forgotten cup of tea.

"We're back in the TARDIS," the Doctor realized. "How'd we get here?"

"We walked," Jenny said, leading her down the hall to a cozy little room filled with couches and beanbags. "I suspect you're in a bit of shock. Now sit down and drink up."

"She's gone. I can't believe she's really gone..."

"Not forever," Jenny said gently. "You can always visit her again in your next regeneration."

"I suppose that's true," she sighed, sipping her tea. "You know sometimes I hate being a Time Lord. You lose so many people along the way."

"Is there ever a point where you stop regenerating?"

"I was supposed to, two regenerations ago. But the Time Lords gave me another set so I could defeat...well, lots of bad people actually."

"Do you think I'm immortal?" Jenny wondered, leaning her head against the Doctor's shoulder.

"I'm not risking it. I don't want to know that badly."

"I don't seem to really age. That's why they called me the Timeless Child."

"Right. Well we know regeneration is out of the picture," the Doctor thought aloud, pulling on her ear. "The Source brought you back once, but I doubt it'll bring you back a second time."

"The scientists never could figure it out."

"Whatever they said about you, don't take it too seriously. They did get a lot of things wrong. I only know two things about this whole situation: you're my daughter. And you're alive." She shifted and smiled down at Jenny. "And it's wonderful. So I, for one, don't want to waste any time. We never know how much time we get with people, although hopefully it's more than our last encounter."

"I hope so, too," Jenny said, practically shining with happiness.

The Doctor downed the rest of her tea determinedly. "Right. That's finished. You ready?"

"For what?" she asked eagerly.

"To see the TARDIS. Save the universe."

"And run?" Jenny teased.

"That too," the Doctor grinned.

"You know I've seen some pretty amazing things when I've traveled out there," Jenny said. "I may have seen things even you haven't."

"Ooh, I doubt that," the Doctor said.

"Wanna bet?" Jenny said. "Teach me how to fly the TARDIS, I'll show you."

"You're on."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, we've reached the final chapter. Thanks everyone for reading this story! I know it was short, especially if you read Alons-y. But I hope you enjoyed it. Let's hope that one day something like this will actually happen on screen!**** If you've enjoyed this story, please favorite and/or follow me, and check out the other stories on my page. **

**P.S. Also, check out this freakin' BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING tribute to Donna Noble by Margarita Life. It's what inspired me to do the flashback sequences. Seriously, it never stops giving me chills. (** watch?v=OmqWFYt8Tok)


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